Editorial: Third grade critical for reading, school success

File photo by Don Treeger / The ReppublicanA group of third graders is seen at the Frank H. Freedman School in Springfield in March.

A higher percentage of the state’s high school students – 87 percent – passed the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam in the spring than ever before, but a decline in the scores of the youngest MCAS test-takers sounds an alarm that must not be ignored.

In the third grade, which is viewed as a critical juncture in a child’s development as a reader, only 31 percent scored proficient or advanced in English. That’s 1 percentage lower than in 2001. It is a disturbing statistic – and it’s especially discouraging after two years of consecutive gains in the category.

Margaret Blood, president of Strategies for Children, a Boston non-profit organization that advocates for early childhood education and literacy, says the lower test results underscore the need for greater investment by the state in providing equal access to high-quality early education – and greater emphasis on reading intervention programs.

She’s absolutely right. One step the state can take to prevent this from happening is to pass “An Act Relative to Third Grade Reading Proficiency,” which would focus attention on the issue. The legislation is now pending at the Statehouse.

“Research tells us that three-quarters of children who struggle with reading in third grade will continue to struggle in school, substantially reducing their chances of graduating from high school,” Blood said in a statement. “If we ensure that children in Massachusetts become proficient readers by the end of third grade, everything else on the education agenda will be easier to tackle, as will our ability to meet the needs of tomorrow’s economy.”

We can’t lose our children in third grade; we must invest in early education now. We can’t afford to fail this test.